RASALKHAIRPOWERPLANT&SUBSTATION

EASTERNPROVINCESAUDIARABIA
DYNAMICREPLACEMENT,VERTICALDRAINS&SURCHARGE
Category:
Developer:
Engineer:
Contractor:
Area/Quantity:

DR:172,546 m2;
PVD:32,800m2;
PVD+DR:35,500m2;

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The Raz Al Khair Power Plant and Substation

site is located on the marine lowland ca 250
km to the North from Dammam and 70 km
to the North from Jubail Industrial City.
The work consists in the initial site
preparation for the construction of the
following facilities:
9 6 switchgear and transformator blocks;
9 tanks area, gas and steam turbine;
9 compressor station;
9 substation;
9 cable corridors and pipe-racks;
9 administration
and
maintenance
buildings.
SOIL CONDITION

Power
SWCC/SEC
PoyryEnergyAB
ACC/CCCJV

installation of Prefabricated Vertical

Drains (PVD) combined with DR and
surcharge on the areas where the
thickness of silt and clay vary from 6 to
11 meters. The objective of DR was to
provide required bearing capacity of the
top soil layers and the aim of surcharge
was to accelerate and achieve from 80 to
90% of consolidation settlement prior the
start of the construction.
Up to 10 m high surcharge fill was used to
generate
settlements
during
the
consolidation period from 2 to 4 months.

/ GEOTECHNICAL PROBLEM

Project soil profile:

Two typical soil profiles were determined:
Soil profile A - silty sand layer in the upper 1
to 4 m following with silt or silty clay with
thickness from up to 6 m.
Soil profile B: from 6 to 11 m thick silty clay
The criteria according to the Technical
Specifications to be achieved after soil
improvement works was:
150 to 200 kN/m2 allowable bearing
pressure under isolated foundations;
20 to 120 kN/m2 allowable bearing
pressure under raft foundations;
Maximum 25 mm settlement under
isolated footings (B<4 m);
Maximum 50 mm settlement
(or
residual settlement after surcharge)
under raft foundation;
Safety factor of 1.3 against
liquefaction (M=6.5; PGA=2%).
MENARD SOLUTION
The soil improvement solution proposed by
Menard Vibro was:
- execution of DC/DR on the areas where
the thickness of compressible sabhka
layers does not exceed 6 meters;

Execution of Vertical Drains

QUALITY CONTROL

Quality
Control
consisting
of
Cone
Penetration (CPT) and Pressuremeter testing
(PMT) were used including internal pre-and
post treatment tests.
The D60 AN code was used to verify the
achievement of allowable bearing pressure
and
settlement
criteria
based
on
Pressuremeter
testing
results.
The
liquefaction risk mitigation was assessed
using CPT testing results and Meliquef
procedure.
The settlement monitoring network was
installed on each surcharge area which
allows to analyze the rate of the
deformations and evaluate the proper
consolidation period.

ME11008- RAS AL-KHAIR POWER PLANT & SUBSTATION

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